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So, the verdict is out. George Zimmerman has been deemed “Not Guilty” of second-degree murder or manslaughter. This is not to say he is innocent of any wrongdoing. However, the nation will never know the entire story of what happened to Trayvon Martin. More importantly, his family will never really know, because the real victim in this trial was the truth. This entire saga has been railroaded by media and political interference.

You don’t think you were fooled? How many of you heard a transcript of Zimmerman’s 911-call on the news, in which he is quoted as saying he saw a suspicious individual—a black man wearing a hoodie? And, in disbelief, you said, “Why, that’s profiling!”

Would it have made a difference if you knew the 911 operator had asked him to describe the individual’s skin color, and then asked what he was wearing? Of course it would have. But those questions were edited out of the transcripts. (“Never let facts get in the way of a good story” seems to be the media mantra). In fact, many media outlets did everything possible to make Zimmerman look guilty. To add drama, they even called him a “White Hispanic man”…has the media ever called our president a White Black man?

Fortunately for Mr. Zimmerman, he had a fair trial in light of the available evidence. Had the media or politics not intervened, he might have been tried on different charges—charges that could have been proven.

So, now there are three families that will never get true closure: the Martins, the Zimmermans, and the Lees (the family of the former police chief fired by a city that was not interested in investigation, but wanted only a speedy arrest.)

If any good can come of this, it would be that we can learn from it, and hopefully, next time allow the law officials to do their jobs. This can also serve as a wake-up call for those of us who could do a little more thinking for ourselves and stop swallowing everything the media tries to force down our throats. I’ve long believed we as a nation are only too eager to accept what we hear on the news as truth, and that it’s damaging our country and our relationships. Stop listening to hate-mongers and start doing your homework! You and I have the power to share peace and light with the world, regardless of the anger and darkness around us, just by choosing to do so.

Which brings me to another reason this case hits home for me. It offers a perfect segue for announcing the book I’m working on right now that is of surprising coincidence, only it isn’t. It is a true story about a man named Joe, who, in the ‘70s, was tried and actually convicted of a crime he did not commit. His case was also affected by media and personal ambitions. But that’s where the similarities end.

The real story is not about the case against Joe as much as it is about the way he handled it—not with hate and bitterness, but with peace and light. As a result, lives were made better, for both family members and fellow inmates, and now he says it was the best thing that ever happened to him. If you want to follow our progress, watch “Joe’s Story” on my website.